Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. AUSTIN, OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letter Patent NO. 260,731, dated July 11,1882,

Application iiledrApril 18, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY Aus- TIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at J eersonville, in the county of Clark and State ofIndiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My device relates to self-couplers for cars; and it consists in t-wopivoted levers with double-hooked ends and inclosed in the drawheads,and actuated through the intervention of a suitable Ylever at the sideof .the draw-V head.

It further consists in details of construction and arrangement of partsthat will be more specifically set forthl in the specication and claimsand pointed out in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is atop plan view of my device; Fig. 2, a top view with the upper half ofthe casing removed; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. l.Fig. 4 is a section taken on line x w, Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A A represent twocatch-levers, one above the other,aud pivoted at b b in the draw-head.Bolts d d', having coiled springs thereon, pass through the draw-headand through the inside ends of levers Al A. The vouter ends of eachlever are formed'with two hooks, a a', as shown in Fig. 2. Thehooks aserve to hold thecoupling-links, while the hooks a extend outwardthrough recesses or slots in the sides of the draw-head, so that eitherlever may be drawn downward or actuated by simply catching hold of theouter projection, if vit should be found necessary in case of accidentto the lever D.

In order to accommodate the play of the levers in the draw-head, thesides are cut away at an incline or bevel, commencing at a point on thevertical axis through the pivots and extending to the recessin the outerend of the draw-head. The forward end of the drawhead is provided witharc-shaped reoesses to permit free play to the curved ends of the hookedends-of the levers. The ends a, in their normal position, are in contactwith a rib or partition, G, which is pointed at its outer ends, andserves to guide the coupling-link vinto position, and at lthe same timeacts as arestv for the upper link. The inner ends ot' the levers arebeveled or cut away, as shown in Fig. 1 2,-s'o as to permit free play ofthe levers at those ends.

At a suitable point in the draw-head forward ot' the pivotal points ofthe lever is an arcshaped cam, B, mounted on a shaft passing through thedraw-head and swiveied to a handlever, D, secured to the outside of thedra-whead. The operation of the device is as follows: Suppose the leversA A' and the cam B to Vbein their normalV positions, as shown in fulllines, Fig. 1. When a car, with its couplinglink attached, is moved backso as to come in contact with the bumper ot' the car next in rear, andwhich is to be coupled, the link pushes against one or the other of thecurved ends a of levers. This action tends to force the curved endupward, as indicated in dotted lines,while the opposite end, c, whichrests on the coiled spring e, is forced downward, and of course forcesthe spring down. As soon as the end of the link passes by the curved enda the action of the spring at once forces back the lever into its normalposition and the link is held against the inside tace of hook ct. Thusit will be seen the act of coupling is automatic. Now, suppose the carsto be coupled and it is desired to uncouple them. The hand-lever D ispushed back. This turns the shaft C and the cam, which forces back thelevers A A', as before described, andV frees the link from contact withthe hook a. As soon as this is done release lever D, and the action ofthe ysprings forces back the cam and levers, as before described. Theobject of making the two hooks as shown is for the purpose of providingfor the coupling up of cars of different heights.

The draw-head may be made in the form of a casing suitably joined to thedraw-bar; or there may be one side only of the draw-head madedetachable. This form of construction is comparatively inexpensive andvery efticient for the purpose. The danger attending the coupling ofcars is avoided, and the cars can be uncoupled without stepping inbetween them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In acar-coupler, the combination of the catch-levers A A', pivoted in thedraw-head, bolts d and resting on springs e, the rib G, and the innerends of said levers being perforated cam B, actuated by levers C D,substantially for the passage of a bolt extending through as set forth.the lever, and a separate coiled spring, one for In testimony whereof' Inix my signature in 5 ach lever, said leversbeingcentrally cutawaypresence of two witnesses.

or the reception of a cam for actuating the ,f u 3 levers, substantiallyas set forth. ILLIAM HENIY AUS'HN' 2. In a car-couplin g device, thecombination Witnesses: 0f one or more pivoted catch-levers, A A', 112W-MERRIT'L N. HALL, 1o ing the hooks a, a', the ends c, passing over theHERMAN PRUFER.

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